Hurricane Irene: Nassau County Sets First North Shore Evacuations

For the first time, Nassau County has ordered some residents of the North Shore whose properties are close to Manhasset Bay on Long Island Sound to evacuate by 5 p.m. Saturday.

The areas are mainly on the Port Washington peninsula, which juts north into L.I. Sound. Hurricane Irene is forecast to make landfall Sunday near Long Beach on the South Shore, with a population around 50,000.

Jon Kaiman, Supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, told residents living in areas of prior storm surges from Manhasset Bay they must leave. The areas include Baxter Estates, Manorhaven, Manhasset Isle and parts of Port Washington North that front the bay.

Kaiman said residents need to go where water has flooded your property in the past. Edward Mangano, Nassau County Executive, ordered the move late Friday along with other evacuations. Unlike Long Beach, the North Shore areas generally consist of single-family homes, not apartment houses.

Newsday, the Long Island newspaper, delivered its Sunday feature sections along with the Saturday newspaper and said its website would be free. The New York Times said it would not deliver its Saturday newspaper.

In Great Neck, a residential area with about 45,000 people within North Henpstead, municipal officials took precautions. The Great Neck Park District removed floating docks at its marina at Steppingstone Park and said it would close the outdoor Parkwood Pool at noon. Employees were then to secure outdoor chairs and lounges.

Trucks from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) as well as Verizon could be seen preparing for emergency operations.

Meanwhile, many of the synagogues in Great Neck said they would proceed with regular Sabbath services. Temple Israel, a 930-member Conservative congregation, sent out an e-mail from the clergy telling members services would be held, including a bat mitzvah Saturday morning. Rabbi Seth Adelson also issued a comment criticizing anyone who might infer that Hurricane Irene or any other natural phenomenon could be inferred as some kind of divine punishment.

The weather and the destruction that it may wreak, is not dependent upon God's mood or, indeed, our behavior, Adelson wrote.